Archbishop Carroll Christian Service Policy Archbishop Carroll High School challenges students to live their faith and work for justice in society. As a school community, we witness to the Word of God not only in proclaiming and studying the Bible, but also by putting our faith into action. Jesus promises us that whenever we serve “the least of His brothers and sisters,” we serve Him. Students are required to complete Christian Service in accordance to the following: Senior year: 15 hours Junior year: 15 hours* Sophomore year: 20 hours Freshman year: 20 hours TOTAL: 70 hours *Junior Class Soup Kitchen In conjunction with the Social Justice Class, juniors embark on a Service Learning Program about hunger and homelessness. As a part of this program all Juniors are assignmed to serve three times at a soup kitchen during the school year. If a student misses his/her assigned date, he/she must make up the service on a weekend or after school. More information will be provided by the Social Justice teachers. These hours will be performed during the school day, and do not count toward the service requirement for the Junior Year. Juniors must perform 15 hours of service in addition to the Soup Kitchen Program. Acceptable Types of Service Only the following types of service fulfill the student requirement (unless permission has been obtained from the Christian Service Coordinator). All service must be performed after normal school hours. Nursing homes Assisted living facilities Rehabilitation centers Hospitals Soup kitchens Food banks/pantries Participation in fundraisers that raise awareness for life-threatening diseases and illnesses such as: Breast Cancer - "Avon Walk" Cystic Fribrosis - "Walk for a Cure" American Diabetes Association Mentoring/tutoring programs Archbishop Carroll Campus Ministry-sponsored service events, such as: Food Drive - Distribute bags, collect bags, sort food, etc. Weekly service trips offered by Campus Ministry Direct Service to ACHS, limited to activities outside of school hours and to: Peer Tutoring supervised by a teacher Events such as Open House that benefit the school as a whole Service to ACHS must be approved in advance by the Service Coordinator. Unacceptable Types of Service: Off-site Clerical Work - filing, telephones, etc. Work for which the student is paid Overnight Retreats Any service not approved by the service coordinator When in doubt, ask before performing the service. Verification Forms Verification Forms are available in the Campus Ministry Room or at the Archbishop Carroll Web Site. BRING THE FORM WITH YOU when you perform the service, so the Site Supervisor can sign off on the service you have performed. All Verification Forms should be turned in to the Christian Service Coordinator in a timely manner. Students must complete the Verification Form correctly and completely. Forms not properly completed will not be accepted by the Christian Service Coordinator. Verificantion Forms must be turned in by the end of the month in which the service was performed. Example: If you complete service at a site on September 20, 2007, then you must submit the COMPLETED Verificantion Form by the last day of September to receive credit. Students may only include one day's worth of service on each Verification Form. A single Verification Form should not include a range of dates stretching throughout an entire month. If a student works four times in a month, he/she should turn in four separate Verification Forms that month. Students must complete a short reflection (in the form of a paragraph) on the Verification Form that focuses on the service performed. Failure to follow these procedures will result in hours not being accepted or credited toward the student. Additional information It is highly recommended that students get preapproval from the Christian Service Coordinator prior to engaging in their Christian service projects. Failure to do so may result in completed hours being disqualified if the hours do not meet the above criteria. The Christian Service Coordinator has ample resources to assist students in contacting agencies and organizations to complete their service requirements. Service hours will be recorded on the students' report cards and transcripts. Hours will also be posted outside the Campus Ministry Room on a monthy basis. Deadlines Seniors: Hours submitted by April 30th Underclassmen: Hours submitted by May 9th NOTE: 1. Hours performed over the summer must be submitted by the end of September and will count for that year. 2. Summer Hours for Incoming Freshmen will not be accepted. Failure to Complete Students must complete the required number of service hours each year or a penalty will result. Seniors: All Seniors must have service hours submitted by the deadline, or they will not receive their diplomas at graduation. Conferring of the diploma will be delayed until the summer when the hours are completed. Underclassmen: Underclassment who do not complete their required hours by the deadline may be required to attend summer school and may not be invited back to ACHS the following year. Contact Information Campus Ministry Room Phone: (202) 529-0900 x 140